"Voting is a right best exercised by people who have taken time to learn about the issues." — Tony Snow

Riverside County Requirements

Voter Registration Information

Who

You may register to vote if you meet the following criteria:

• You are a United States citizen
• You are a resident of California
• You are at least 18 years of age (or will be by the date of the next election)
• You are not in prison or on parole for conviction of a felony
• You have not been judged by a court to be mentally incompetent to register and vote

When

If you've moved, changed your name (due to marriage or court order) or if you wish to change your political party affiliation, you must re-register.

If you are registered in the County of Riverside, and have moved without updating your voter registration record, please call the Registrar of Voters office immediately so that we may assist you in the necessary procedure for updating your record and provide you with instructions on where you will vote. For more information please call (951) 486-7200.

Where

Voter Registration forms are available at most of the following locations throughout
Riverside County:

Or you can call our office at, 951-486-7200 and we will gladly mail one to you.

Use of Your Personal Information

Information on your voter registration affidavit will be used by elections officials to send you official information on the voting process, such as the location of your polling place and the issues and candidates that will appear on the ballot. Commercial use of voter registration information is prohibited by law and is a misdemeanor. Voter information may be provided to a candidate for office, a ballot measure committee, or other person for election, scholarly, journalistic, political, or governmental purposes, as determined by the Secretary of State. Driver's license and social security numbers, or your signature as shown on your voter registration card, cannot be released for these purposes. If you have .any questions about the use of voter information or wish to report suspected misuse of such information, please call the Secretary of State's Voter Protection and Assistance Hotline.

Certain voters facing life-threatening situations may qualify for confidential voter status. For more information, please contact the Secretary of State's Safe At Home program or visit the Secretary of State's Web site at www.sos.ca.gov.

San Bernardino County Requirements

Qualifications to register

To register to vote in San Bernardino County, a person must be:

• A United States citizen
• A resident of California
• A resident of San Bernardino County
• At least 18 years old on Election Day
• Not in prison or on parole for the conviction of a felony
• Not found by a court to be mentally incompetent

Military and Overseas Voters

To register as a military/overseas voter, a person must:

• Meet the qualifications listed above, and
• Be in the military or a spouse or dependent of someone in the military or armed services;
• Be overseas temporarily or by virtue of employment;
• Be overseas indefinitely.

Address Confidentiality Program

Victims of domestic violence, stalking, and sexual assault are eligible to participate in a program administered by the Secretary of State that offers victims anonymity when registering to vote.

College Students

A college student should register to vote in the county where they claim permanent residency. A permanent residence address may be the residence where the student lives while at school or at his or her parents’ residence.

New Citizens

Any new citizen who has a swearing in ceremony that takes place after the voter registration deadline is eligible to register and vote at the Elections Office beginning on the 14th day before an election and ending at the close of polls on Election Day. In order to do so they must have established residence in the state of California and show proof of citizenship.

Voting Rights for Those with Criminal Convictions

In 2011, the Legislature passed and the Governor signed the Criminal Justice Realignment Act (CJRA). Under Penal Code section 1170(h), low-level felons are sentenced to county jail and/or supervision by the county probation department instead of state prison. CJRA has caused some confusion about voting rights among people who have criminal convictions. Below states who is eligible and who is not eligible to register to vote in California.

You are not eligible if:

• You are in a state prison.
• You are in a county jail serving a state prison sentence.
• You are on parole.

You are eligible if:

• You are in county jail serving a misdemeanor sentence.
• You are in county jail because jail time is a condition of probation.
• You are on probation.
• You are on mandatory supervision.
• You are on post-release community supervision.
• You are done with parole.

California Penal Code section 2910 allows the California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation (CDCR) to make agreements with local governments to house felons in a county jail or other correctional facility. For more information, please visit CDCR's website. If you have questions about your voting rights, please contact your parole or county probation office.